Small town Mayor Pete Buttigieg quickly became the most famous long shot candidate running to beat Trump in 2020. And his last losing campaign in 2017 holds clues to the path he’s pursuing. In this first installment of “Backstory”, a new series on The Beat reporting on 2020 candidates, Ari Melber explores Buttigieg’s 2017 race, the battle for the direction of the Democratic Party, and important parallels to the unexpected rise of Barack Obama. “Backstory” aims to provide substance and context to 2020 coverage.» Subscribe to MSNBC: on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc

MSNBC delivers breaking news, in-depth analysis of politics headlines, as well as commentary and informed perspectives. Find video clips and segments from The Rachel Maddow Show, Morning Joe, Meet the Press Daily, The Beat with Ari Melber, Deadline: White House with Nicolle Wallace, Hardball, All In, Last Word, 11th Hour, and more.